8: What Happens If the ACA Subsidies Expire?

from Baker Briefing · host Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy

Without a last-minute extension of enhanced tax credits, Americans who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act will see their premiums spike in January. How did we get here, and why are health care access and affordability such persistent policy challenges? Dr. Heidi Russell and Elena M. Marks joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to discuss what happens when the ACA subsidy enhancements expire and offer insights for moving the U.S. health system forward. Featured guests: Elena Marks, MPH, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/elena-m-marks Heidi Russell, MD, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/heidi-russell This conversation was recorded on Nov. 20, 2025. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.